In the last few years, some Spanish dioceses have identified the practice of so-called "intergenerational healing" in prayers and retreats promoted by charismatic movements. Concerned about this situation, the Bishops of the Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Spanish Episcopal Conference requested studies from experts in theology and psychology to analyze this practice. After evaluating the reports, in March 2024 they decided to prepare a note synthesizing the information on this practice and offering a doctrinal evaluation, highlighting its risks and pointing out its incompatibility with the tradition and faith of the Church. This document was approved in September 2024 for official dissemination and has been published on November 26.
What is "intergenerational healing"?
The theory and practice of "intergenerational healing", also called "family tree healing", has its basis in the controversial works of several authors who combine psychology, therapy and spirituality. One of the main exponents is Kenneth McAll, an Anglican physician and missionary, who relies on the psychology of Carl Gustav Jung to establish a link between illness and evil forces. Later, this idea was developed by the Claretian John Hampsch and by the priest Robert DeGrandis, who popularized this practice within the Catholic Charismatic Renewal thanks to his closeness to this movement.
These authors maintain that sin can be transmitted between generations, arguing that the unforgiven sins of ancestors would be responsible for physical and psychological disorders in their descendants. According to this perspective, healing is achieved by identifying those sins in the family tree and using spiritual tools such as intercessory prayers, exorcisms and, especially, the celebration of the Eucharist. Through these practices, Jesus or the Holy Spirit is sought to break the bonds of sin, achieving a healing that is often described as immediate and complete.
Interventions by teachers
The Catholic magisterium has warned about the theological and pastoral risks of "intergenerational healing". The French Bishops' Conference pointed out in 2007 that this practice oversimplifies the transmission of psychic illnesses, nullifying individual freedom and distorting sacramental theology by denying the full power of baptism. That same year, Bishop Paul Choi Deog-ki of Suwon explained that the idea of inheriting sins is incompatible with Catholic doctrine, since baptism completely cleanses individual sins.
In 2015, the Polish Bishops' Conference published an in-depth analysis, concluding that this practice lacks foundation in Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium, contradicting the truth of divine mercy and the efficacy of baptism and reconciliation. These interventions emphasize that sins are not transmissible and that sacramental grace is sufficient to free the individual.
Theological foundation
The Magisterium of the Church rejects the theory of intergenerational healing, which proposes that the sins of ancestors can influence later generations. According to Catholic doctrine, sin is always personal and requires a free decision of the will, as established by the exhortation Reconciliatio et Paenitentia (1984). Only original sin is transmitted from generation to generation, but not in a culpable manner, as the Catechism emphasizes.
Furthermore, responsibility for sins is individual, not collective, and salvation is given freely through Christ. Baptism erases all sins, including the original sin, and leaves no consequences that justify the transmission of sins. The Eucharist and prayers for the deceased, although valid, do not have the purpose of intergenerational healing. The Church also regulates healing prayers, requiring that they be celebrated under the supervision of ecclesiastical authority to avoid distorting the liturgy.
